UPDATE - Next round of US-Iran negotiations set for Geneva this Thursday, Oman says

UPDATES WITH DETAILS

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday, Oman’s foreign minister confirmed on Sunday.

“Pleased to confirm US-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal,” Badr Albusaidi wrote on US social media company X.

The two sides resumed diplomacy earlier this month in the Omani capital, Muscat, and a second round in Geneva.

Oman has played a mediating role in indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran in recent months.

US news website Axios, citing a senior US official, reported early Sunday that Washington is ready to hold another round of negotiations with Tehran in Geneva only if Iran provides a detailed nuclear proposal within the next two days.

The official indicated that a concrete Iranian submission could pave the way for “detailed negotiations” toward a nuclear agreement, with the possibility of an interim deal also on the table before any comprehensive agreement is reached.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS that the proposal is still being finalized, with both sides working on elements that will “accommodate both sides' concerns and trusts.”

He said the Iranian leadership has not yet signed off, but he is confident the sides will make progress when they meet.

Senior US officials warned that the ongoing diplomatic effort may represent the final window before Washington authorizes a large-scale joint military operation with Israel, one potentially targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei directly, according to Axios.

The warning comes amid a US military buildup in the Middle East, where the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and more fighter jets have already arrived, with the USS Gerald R. Ford on its way.

Trump on Thursday set a 10- to 15-day window for negotiations to yield fruit before military options come into play, reiterating the threats on Friday that he was also considering a more limited strike to pressure Iran into reaching a “serious” agreement.